Trackless transportation system



Nov. 20, 1934. H. F. LUCKE, JR 1,981,655

TRACKLESS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Y Filed Feb. 16, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l lo I I J I V' J i v /.5'

Nov. 20, 1934. H. F. LUCKE, JR 1 1,981,655

TRACKLESS TRANSPORTAT ION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 16, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Fly. 5.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1934. H. F. LUCKE, JR 1,981,655

TRACKLESS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 16, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN NTO BY 7 ATTORNEY.

NOV. 20, 1934. LUQKE, JR 1,981,655

TRACKLESS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 16, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 20, 1934 .bli'iED STATES FFiE TRACKLESS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Herman F. Lucke, Jr., Baltimore, Md. Application February 16, 1933, Serial No. 65?,044

3 Claims. (Cl. 104245) My present invention relates to a transportation system and more particularly to a tracldess system in which a guiding means is arranged in an elongated slot formed in the roadway and extending along the right ofv way.

My invention is particularly applicable to passenger transportation. systems in use in cities, towns and the like, where at present relatively heavy passenger cars mounted on trucks equipped with metal wheels are guided on parallel metal rails along the right of way. Such cars are usually propell d by electricity and therefore a trolley feed line and a ground return is utilized and through which current is supplied to the driving motor.

In congested districts where a large portion of such existing railways are in use, the cost of maintaining the road-bed in efiicient condition is extremely high and this cost is augmented by 20 the necessity of doing the major portion of the work after the hours of greatest vehicular traffic along the roadway, as well as by the delays incident to doing any construction work on a well travelled road.

Also, and of late years, complaints are being constantly made because of the noise which necessarily ensues from the running of the metal wheeled vehicles along a steel rail highway, and various city ordinances have been enacted for th purpose of eliminating or reducing such noise.

In my present invention, I have devised an improved system of transportation wherein the usual and ordinary road-bed is dispensed with therefore the excessive cost of installation and upkeep is avoided, and I have provided a slotted member extending along the right of way and the top of which slot lies in the top surface of the roadway, and have entirely eliminated the usual and ordinary rails, so that when no car of the railway is moving over the road-bed, the entire top surface of the road-bed is available for vehicular trafiic and without danger of vehicles passing thereon skidding because of the rails or for any other reason, as the slot along the right of way is so narrow as not to form an obstruction to anything passing over the roadway.

In my invention also I propose to remove the metal rimmed wheels and substitute therefor wheels or wheel rims of resilient or non-noiseproducing material, and such rims are preferably made of rubber or its equivalent in the shape of the usual tires, and such tires may be either pneumatic tires or solid tires, the sole desideratum being that the material of which the tires are;

composed will be non-sound-producing. Therefore, cars thus equipped will run over the roadway with little or no noise emanating therefrom and certainly nomore noise than is now emanated from the usual and ordinary automobiles passing 5 over the roadway.

In my invention I also propose to equip .the trucks carrying the resilient wheel members above referred to with a'shoe or shoes which extend downwardfrom the trucks and'into and through the slot above described as extending along the right of way, and which shoes will be sufficient in number and rigid'enough in character to positively guide the trucks and therefore the body carried thereby along the right of Way and with- 7 out the necessity of any flanged wheel such as has been necessary heretofore. I

I also propose in my present invention to have the slot above referred to connect at its lower end with a conduit which likewise extends along 7 the right of way but below the surface thereof, and which conduit is equipped with currentcarrying devices such as an elongated bus bar or bus bars, and I am thus enabled to provide a full metallic circuit through the driving motors 30 of the vehicle.

One or more of the shoes or plows with which each truck is equipped may be provided with means for collecting current from a feed conductor and contacting with a return conductor 35 as will be hereinafter fully described.

I have also in my present invention solved the problem of providing suitable switching means for guiding the trucks and therefore the vehicle carried thereby around a curve or over a crossroad, and in fact for performing any of the ma neuvers which are now ordinarily performed by the usual surface cars, either of a street railway system or of any other railway system.

The object of my invention therefore is an improved transportation system adapted particularly for transportation systems in a city, town or the like.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 designates a plan view of a pair of spaced trucks equipped with rubber or other resilient material tires and associated with a longitudinal slot extending along the usual roadway, said trucks carrying a vehicle body and which body is outlined in schematic form;

Fig. 2 is a view of the trucks shown in Fig. 1 but shown associated with. a curved slot extending along the right of way and illustrating the manner in which the trucks and the body carried thereby are carried around a curve;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the roadway as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and showing one of the guiding shoes or plows attached to the trucks and extending into and through the guiding slot in the roadway;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged .plan view of an end cross member of one of the trucks shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and of a guiding shoe or plow attached thereto and of the longitudinal slot associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation similar to a portion of the elevation shown in Fig. 3 and illustrating the manner of collecting current from feed conductors within the conduit;

Fig. 6 is a sectionof a shoe or plow on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section of a shoe or line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation through a portion of the conduit showing a current pick-up shoe or plow extending thereinto and in position to engage with a current carrying conductor;

Fig. 9 is a plan'view on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8, with the guiding slot omitted;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of a roadway showing a modified form of guiding slot and ground current return trolley, and 1 Fig. 11 is a section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 10.

. eferring to the drawings, 1 designates the outlines of a car body and which body is supported on a plurality of trucks, each truck consisting of a rectangular framework composed of longitudinally extending spaced members connected together at their ends by cross members 4. The longitudinal members are provided with pairs of aligned bearings, in each pair of which is rotatably mounted an axle 6 provided at its ends with resiliently rimmed wheels 5, such as pneumatic tires, solid tires, or the like, and each axle 6 is also equipped with brake bands 10 operable in the usual way by the operator of the car to control the movements thereof.

In the present showing, each'axle is independently driven, there being a driving motor and gears designated by the numeral 9 for each such axle 6. Extending across the longitudinal frame members of the truck and parallel to the end members 4 is a transverse beam 7 which receives a king pin 8 that extends downward through a suitable portion of the car body 1 and by means of which the car body 1 is associated with the above described trucks in the usual manner.

As thus equipped, the car structure above described is not adapted to run on the usual steel rails. because of the absence of flanged wheels thereon, but is; obviously adapted to run on a paved roadway and with a minimum of noise.

Because the invention has been designed for use in relatively thickly settled communities as cities, towns or the like, although not necessarily limited thereto, I find it preferable to provide along the right of way that is ordinarily the city plow on the street a slot 2 in the upper surface of the roadway concrete or other type of paving or road-bed, and such slot 2 is preferably formed in metallic members set into the roadway l3 and flush with the upper surface thereof.

the projections 24 is the lower end of a side plate 22 which extends upwardly and has its upper surface lying parallel to and in the same plane as the upper surface of the road-bed 13., The upper surfaces of the twomembers 22 approach each other and the space between them defines the longitudinal slot 2, and the slot is further defined by providing a downwardly extending skirt 28 on each of the upper ends of the side members 22. The slot 2 is therefore an elongated slot of considerable depth.

In building the conduit or trough, the side plates 22 are braced and held in position by anchor plates 26 anchored in the material of the roadbed 13, said anchor plates being engaged by lugs 25 welded or otherwise connected to the side plates 22, and the space between the roadbed 13 and the side plates 22 of the conduit is filled with mastic material 27 for the purpose of allowing expansion and contraction of the side plates 22 and insuring a water-tight conduit that results from this construction, and to permit easy removal of side plates 22 for renewal and repair without cutting into the material of the roadway.

On each of the trucks shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and preferably at each end of each truck, 1 have provided downwardly extending shoes or plows 3, each of which is of metal and of a thickness slightly less than the width of the slot 2 and of a length to extend well into the slot and into the conduit above described, and of a width that may be anything desired to provide a substantial structure, such member 3 being attached by bolts 18 to angle plates 15 attached by the rivets 17 to the cross angle member 4 of the trucks, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Also, as a steadying and supporting means, I support the members 3 intermediate their ends by angle members 14 secured to the cross angle members 4 by bolts 16 and engaging with the members 3 at a point intermediate their ends, and preferably the lower end of the angle members l4 engage with the members'3 at a point closely adjacent to the upper surface of the roadbed 13.

The lower end of the angle braces 14 are connected in any suitable manner to the shoes or plows 3 as for example by electric arc welding, as indicated by the reference numeral 19.

Preferably the shoes or plows 3 have their vertical edges or corners rounded in the lower portion as shown in Fig. '7. This construction enables the shoes or plows to more easily negotiate curves, switches, etc., and prevents catching at slot intersections and at uneven points in the slot, as where a joint occurs at the meeting of two lengths of the material of which the slot is formed.

On referring to Fig. 1, where the shoes or plows 3 are shown as located at each end of the trucks mounted on the wheels 5, it is obvious that such shoes or plows 3 will positively guide the car body 1 along the length of the slot 2, and by referring to Fig. 2, it will be obvious that it is quite terial whether the slot 2 is of straight form as 140 shown in Fig. 1 or of arcuate form as shown in Fig. 2, and under all circumstances, the shoes or plows 3 will positively guide the car body 1 along the said slot2.

It is also'obvious that the noises heretofore inherent in all systems of surface transportation are in great measure eliminated because of the mounting of the car body 1 on the -nonsoimd-. producing wheels or rims 5, and therefore it will be obvious that my invention has obviated one of 5a the most serious objections to present-day systems of transportation in cities, towns and the like.

As the cars in use on present-day systems of transportation in cities, towns and the like are well adapted for the carrying of passengers, and as the method of propulsion, that is by electric motors, is well adapted for cities, towns and the like, I have arranged to retain the method of propulsion and have utilized an improved system of transmission whereby the present-day objections 'to trolley poles, trolley wires and ground return are eliminated. My invention, therefore, removes from cities, towns and the like, one of the most serious objections to present-day systems of transportation and removes also a considerable hazard to lives and property which has been occasioned by falling trolley wires and to firemen and linemen in the discharge of their duties.

Referring now pararticularly to Figs. 5, 8 and 9 as showing an enlarged form of the construction shown in Fig. 3, designates a crossbar or plate attached to the lower end of one or more of the shoes or plows 3 by bolts 21, lock washers 34 being interposed between the head of the bolts 21 and the undersurface of the cross bar 20. On the upper face of the cross bar or plate 20 and on either side of the shoe or plow 3 are arranged bearings 39 and 39g, respectively, which bearings may be secured to or formed integral with the cross plate 20. Considering the bearing 39, there is rotatably mounted therein a stud' shaft 38 which shaft is secured at its ends to the of a forked member 39A formed integrel with a link 35. On the other end of the link 35 is formed a forked member 3513 in which on a shaft 37 is rotatably mounted a trolley wheel 36. ihc link 35, having the integrally formed forked ends 39A and 39B is preferably formed of insulating material, as hard rubber, micarta, or the like, and the trolley wheel 36 is rotatably mounted in the forked end 3513 and is electrically connected to a conductor 33 which extends upwardly through but is electrically insulated from the shoe or plow 3 and which runs to the motor or motors and driving gears 9 through the usual controlling apparatus (not shown) provided at either end of the car body 1.

Secured at 41 to the link 35 is one end of a i spring 40, the other end of this spring being connected at 43 to an upright 42 mounted on the cross plate 20, and which spring maintains trolley wheel 36 in operative relation to a current carrying conduit or bus bar mounted on a strip of insulating material 29 that extends longitudinally of the conduit and is attached to the underface of the upper portion of the side frame members 22.

The return conductor from the motors 9 is designated by the numeral 32 and extends downwardly through the shoe or plow 3 and is connected to a trolley wheel 36G which is rotatably mounted in but insulated from the forked member 36o that is formed integral with the connecting member G. This connecting member 35G has formed at the other end thereof the forked member 35a in which is secured a shaft which is rotatably mounted in the bearing 39g above described. Secured to the connecting member 35G is one end of a spring 350, the other end of this spring being connected to a standard 35d secured to or formed integral with the cross plate 20.

The ground wheel 36G contacts with a ground return conductor 31 that is secured to the underface of insulation 29 which in turn is secured to the underface of the top portion of the side wall 22 although such construction is not necessary where a ground return is employed.

Preferably, however, I connect the ground side of the motors to the shoe or plow in any approved manner, and such method of construction is well known in the art.

With the construction above described, therefore, it is obvious that given the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 or 3, and having one or more of the shoes or plows 3 equipped with the mechanism above described, that current for the op--' eration of the motors and gears 9 will be collected by the collecting wheel 36 in its passage over the conductor 30 and the circuit is completed by the contacting of the ground wheel 36G with the conductor 31 and therefore it is obvious that the car body 1 will be carried along the length of the slot 2 by the trucks above described.

The description as so far given of my invention is illustrated in connection with a conduit in which is located the feed and return conductors for supplying electric current to the driving motors of the trucks supporting the car body 1.

My invention, however, is applicable to other types of electrical transmission and reference is now hadto Figs. 10 and 11 which show a modified form of construction. The construction of the trucks is the same as that above described,

each truck being supplied with shoes or plows 3 which extend into a slot formed in the surface of the road. In the present instance such slot is formed in the presumably concrete road 13 by placing two channel members d'l upright or in the position shown in Fig. 10, spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to define the slot 2. The lower end of the slot formed by the chan nel members 47 is closed by a steel plate 49 secured to the lower flanges of each of the mem any suitable way, as by an overhead trolley which is the usual means in use at the present time for supplying electric current to the driving motors of streetcars.

Because of the absence of tracks, however,

some other method must be employed for having a ground return from a trolley feed motor and in the present instance I have equipped one or more of the shoes or plows 3 with a bearing member 54 secured to or formed integral with the lower end thereof, and to such bearing member 1,,

attached by means of a shaft 55 is a connecting lever or link 51, such lever or link having a forked end carrying a shaft 53 on which is rotatably mounted a trolley wheel 52 which engages with the upper face of the steel plate 49 and the con- A In the present instance,

struction as thus described acts as a ground return for the power circuit of the motors and gears 9.

It is to be understood that the conduits or slots which have been above described will, when comj mercially installed, be provided at intervals along the length thereof with suitable hand holes or boxes which may be removed to allow proper cleaning of the conduits or repair of the parts located therein and for the removal of the shoes or plows 3 or any appurtenances carried thereby or associated therewith, and also, it is to be understood that in the commercial installation sufficient attention is to be paid to the proper drainage so that such conduits or slots will not become choked with water or other liquid.

From the above, it is apparent that my invention attains the transportation of passengers and/or freight of a nature comparable to the transportation afforded by current types of trolley cars, but avoiding the above noted disadvantages incident in the operation of trolley cars. Further, pursuant to my invention, the body of each car, which may advantageously be similar to or in duplicate of any current type of trolley car body, is pivotally supported upon a pair of trucks or carriages, having a plow mounted at each end of each truck or carriage, each plow being of rigid, and preferably metallic, material having a dimension in the direction of extension of the slot many multiples of the determined width of opening of the slot, the width of opening of the slot being substantially uniform, the plows combineclly serving as the sole means of association of the respective trucks with the slot for guiding the trucks or carriages, and therewith the car body, along the right of way of the roadway. In particular, the plows combinedly possess a degree of rigidity to a suitable factor of safety to withstand all stresses or strains incident to such travel along the slot, inclusive of its curves, to transport passengers and/ or freight with due safety.

My invention has been described in relative skeleton form as is necessary in approaching a subject having the possibilities inherent in applicants system, and it is to be understood that such apparatus as has been described is for illustrative purposes and that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts comprising the devices within relatively wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a trackless system of transportation of passengers and/or freight along a roadway including curves,the combination of a slot extending along such roadway and about the curves thereof, said slot having a substantially uniform and determined width of opening, the surface of the roadway on opposite sides of the slot being substantially smooth and devoid of tracks, a pair of carriages, a car body pivotally mounted on said carriages respectively, each carriage being provided with a plow at its forward and at its rearward ends, each plow having a dimension in the direction of the extenesncss sion of the slot greatly exceeding the width of opening of the slot, each plow being of rigid metallic material, said plows combinedly serving to withstand with due factor of safety the stresses incident to engagement of the respective plows with the slot inclusive of its curves to guide the carriages respectively in paths corresponding to the path of the slot.

2. In a trackless system of transportation of passengers and/or freight along a roadway including curves, the combination of a slot extending along such roadway and about the curves thereof, said slot having a substantially uniform and determined width of opening, the surface of the roadway on opposite sides of the slot being substantially smooth and devoid of tracks, a pair of carriages, a car body pivotally mounted on said carriages respectively, each carriage being provided with a plow at its forward and at its rearward ends, each plow having a dimension in the direction of the extension of the slot greatly exceeding the width of opening of the slot, each plow being of rigid metallic material, means including cross-bracing elements for rigidly securing the upper end of each plow to an end of a carriage, said plows combinedly serving to withstand with due factor of safety the stresses incident to engagement of the respective plows with the slot inclusive of its curves to guide the carriages respectively in paths corresponding to the path of the slot.

3. In a trackless system of transportation of passengers and/or freight along a roadway including curves, the combination of a slot extending along such roadway and about the curves thereof, said slot having a substantially uniform and determined width of opening, the surface of the roadway on opposite sides of the slot being substantially smooth and devoid of tracks, a pair of carriages, a car body pivotally mounted on said carriages respectively, each carriage being provided with a plow at its forward and at its rearward ends, each plow having a dimension in the direction of the extension of the slot greatly exceeding the width of opening of the slot, each plow being of rigid metallic material, current collecting means carried by said plows including electrical conductors insulatedly secured to the plows, said plows combinedly serving to withstand with due factor of safety the stresses incident to engagement of the respective plows with the slot inclusive of its curves to guide the carriages respectively in pathscorresponding to the path of the slot.

HERMAN F. LUCKE, JR. 

